On the day of his wedding Conrad heir to the house of Otranto is killed in mysterious circumstances His calculating father Manfred fears that his dynasty will now come to an end & determines to marry his son's bride himself
- despite the fact he is already married But a series of terrifying supernatural omens soon threaten this unlawful union as the curse placed on Manfred's ancestor who usurped the lawful Prince of Otranto begins to unfold First published pseudonymously in 1764 purporting to be an ancient Italian text from the time of the crusades The Castle of Otranto is a founding work of Gothic fiction With its compelling blend of sinister portents tempestuous passions & ghostly visitations it spawned an entire literary tradition & influenced such writers as Ann Radcliffe & Bram Stoker
...

Phryne Fisher is back
- as smart & sassy as ever Phryne Fisher her sister Beth & her faithful maid Dot decide that Luna Park is
...

The Hundred Years& War is over & the Renaissance is looming Conditions are perfect for the princes of the Loire Valley to propel their estates to prosperity & prominence Through strategic trading & building clever planning & careful thought in The Castles of Burgundy The Card Game players add settlements & castles practice trade along the river exploit silver mines farm livestock & more Players 1-4 Playing time 30-60 minutes Ages 12 ...

Our intrepid heroes—mages Trinh Charris & Ursa—have made great strides in learning to work together as a team But the darkness is coming & a foe from their past has grown more formidable Will their combined talents be enough to defeat the ever-expanding Surrogate army? An army that has swallowed up so many mages more powerful than they are? ...

The Castrato is a nuanced exploration of why innumerable boys were castrated for singing between the mid-sixteenth & late-nineteenth centuries It shows that the entire foundation of Western classical singing culminating in bel canto was birthed from an unlikely & historically unique set of desires public & private aesthetic economic & political In Italy castration for singing was understood through the lens of Catholic blood sacrifice as expressed in idioms of offering & renunciation & paradoxically in satire verbal abuse & even the symbolism of the castrato's comic cousin Pulcinella Sacrifice in turn was inseparable from the system of patriarchy
- involving teachers patrons colleagues & relatives
- whereby castrated males were produced not as nonmen as often thought nowadays but as idealized males Yet what captivated audiences & composers
- from Cavalli & Pergolesi to Handel Mozart & Rossini
- were the extraordinary capacities of castrato voices a phenomenon ultimately unsettled by Enlightenment morality Although the castrati failed to survive their musicality & vocality have persisted long past their literal demise



...

In the beginning God created man but seeing him so feeble He gave him the cat& Warren Eckstein Combining gorgeous & characterful photographs with witty & heart-warming"ations this enchanting celebration of our feline friends is a must-have for any cat lover ...

A cat lives in a house filled with toys but every day she dreams of being free like the bird she watches through the window Finally with the bird's help she is able to escape & dance on the roofs of the city by moonlight This lovely story unfolds in a series of playful brilliantly colourful illustrations based on the artist Paul Klee's work Influenced by the artist's bright palette & use of shapes & line the book culminates in a dazzling reproduction of Klee's Cat & Bird Accompanied by information about the artist & this iconic painting the book invites appreciation of the unfettered joyfulness that makes Klee one of the most universally loved artists of all time ...

Nick Sharratt's fabulously funny debut novel is now available in paperback THE CAT & THE KING tells the story of a gentle unworldly King & his very clever cat & is illustrated throughout in two colours with Nick's irresistible wit & humour The cat & the King must find a new home after their castle burns down in an Unfortunate Incident with a dragon They choose Number 37 Castle Close & the cat introduces the King to all sorts of new experiences from washing-up to shopping Then danger looms when the pesky fire-breathing dragon makes its return ...

From the winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize comes a pacy rhyming adventure perfect for any child who loves trains When a naughty little mouse steals cheese from the station master a battle between cat & mouse follows! But they put their differences aside when a big red steam train comes tearing down the track straight towards them! Exquisitely illustrated this cat & mouse chase is a truly memorable ride that will be good for many repeated trips' This is a book that children will really enjoy It's a book that will give children's sense of adventure a boost up the bottom'
- Rhino Reads
...

The definitive visual guide to cats The Cat Encyclopedia is a comprehensive cat compendium that has all the facts about cats & kittens & is packed with beautifully photographed profiles of different breeds from the Maine Coon to the Khao Manee This extensive catalogue of cat breeds

Includes:: information on cat anatomy cat behaviour & kitten & cat care plus an authoritative care programme providing advice for every stage of your cat's life Learn how to understand your cat how to handle your cat the importance of play first aid tips & much more You'll also find fascinating facts about the celebration of cats in arts & culture & their place in magic & superstition Filled with beautiful images of cats The Cat Encyclopedia (content previously used in The Complete Cat Breed Book 9781409380634) is a stunning celebration of this ever popular pet & is perfect for cat lovers everywhere

...